This year the Open Government Partnership marks its 10th year of operations. In 2011, South Africa was one of the eight founding countries of the organisation, along with Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, the UK and the US. Now 78 members strong, the OGP works to provide an international platform that enables domestic reformers to make their governments more open, accountable, responsive to citizens, and corruption-free.
Now that three reports from the Zondo commission are in the public domain – with one more to come – it is time for civil society to think about its role in ensuring the commission’s recommendations are implemented. Recently a group of organisations, including Corruption Watch, came together to discuss exactly this.
Countries currently imposing sanctions on Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine will wait a long time for those in power to tighten their belts, writes Ilya Shumanov of Transparency International Russia. Wealthy, influential Russians have many ways of easily getting their money out of the country, while some reside in the very Western countries that are condemning their homeland. Ultimately, those who will really feel the harsh effects of sanctions are ordinary Russian citizens.
The Financial Action Task Force has approved a revision of its recommendation 24, thereby ushering in a new global standard on beneficial ownership transparency. This is not only a win for the fight against corruption and money laundering, but also a collective victory for the efforts of civil society organisations like anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International which, together with its network of global chapters including Corruption Watch, has long advocated for such an outcome.
Auditor-General (AG) Tsakani Maluleke is not impressed with the financial situation at provincial health departments, and says that unpaid claims against negligence and malpractice are a major drain on the health budget. In her 2021 PFMA audit report, released in December 2021, Maluleke notes that seven provincial health departments had unpaid claims that exceeded their entire operational budget for the next year.
The Eastern Cape is the poorest province in the country, where people live in appalling conditions and are deprived of even the most basic of municipal services. Yet those who have brought about this situation refuse to be held accountable, and only residents and whistle-blowers suffer any consequences.
Transparency International says the escalating Russia/Ukraine conflict is enabled by corruption and dirty money, and calls for the world’s leading economies to address the corruption that exacerbates not only this situation, but democratic decline globally.
The Independent Electoral Commission has released the party funding report for the third quarter of the 2021/22 financial year. In total, 11 political parties made declarations totalling R46 036 589.97, in terms of the Political Party Funding Act. Of those 11 declarations made, four were made by unrepresented parties and seven by represented parties.
Ahead of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s maiden national budget speech tomorrow, the Budget Justice Coalition has urged the minister to prioritise inclusive growth and job creation, as well as a movement away from austerity budgeting. The coalition strongly believes that economic recovery and a pro-poor budget can co-exist.